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Lesson Twelve Study Questions Who was Pekah? How did he come to the throne of Israel? Question # 1

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Pekah was the son of Remaliah and is described as an officer of Pekahiah, son of Menahem (2 Kings 15:25). Pekah conspired against Pekahiah and killed him at Samaria.

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During the reign of Pekah, what enemy of Israel carried off captives from Israel? Question # 2 Lesson Twelve Study Questions

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The Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III came to Israel and carried off captives. He took Ijon, Abel BethMaachah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead and Galilee and all the land of Naphtali (15:29).

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With whom did Pekah make an alliance in order to attack Judah? Question # 3 Lesson Twelve Study Questions

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Pekah allied himself with Rezin, king of Syria (Aram) (2 Kings 16:5). As much misery as the Syrians caused in Israel, it is surprising that Pekah would ally himself with Syria against his own brethren (other Israelites) no less.

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Pekah and Rezin besieged Jerusalem, but were unable to overcome him (2 Kings 16:5). Second Chronicles records that Ahaz was delivered by the Lord into the hands of the king of Israel, namely Pekah. Pekah's success (Israel killed 120,000 of Judah's army in a single day) was not so much because of his faithfulness as it was due to Ahaz's wickedness (28:19). Ahaz worshipped Baal and burned his children as sacrifices to false gods (2 Chronicles 28:2-4). Israel was able also to capture 200,000 from Judah (women, sons & daughters) - 2 Chronicles 28:8).

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What message did Oded give to the army of Samaria? Question # 5 Lesson Twelve Study Questions

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He informed the army of Samaria that Judah had been delivered into their hand because of God's anger against Judah. Furthermore, he implicitly rebukes them for their violence against Judah (2 Chronicles 28:9-10). He counseled Israel to return the captives that they had taken (28:11). Interestingly, Israel did just that and treated the captives well, providing their needs out of the spoil which had been taken in battle. Israel's reaction to Oded's message is certainly unusual!

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Hoshea had been paying tribute to Shalmaneser, but he withheld his tribute one year and formed a conspiracy against Assyria with Egypt. The Egyptians were, at that time, really unable to help Hoshea and so the king, in 724 B.C., went to meet Shalmaneser V, who was on his way to Israel, with the overdue tribute. It was too late, however, and Hoshea ended up a captive while Shalmaneser went on to campaign against Israel. In the days of Hoshea, Israel was a very small nation, occupying only some of the hill country west of the Jordan River. Assyria had already taken control of much of the territory which Jeroboam II had ruled.